Immunizations & Vaccines for Children (VFC)
Protecting Kids, Families, and Communities
At Health Care for Children, we prioritize the health and wellbeing of our patients. We believe that vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways to protect children from serious, preventable diseases. Our practice follows the immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
There is an abundant amount of research and evidence supporting this schedule. These guidelines are based on extensive scientific evidence and are designed to safeguard your child, our other patients (especially those who are medically vulnerable), and the community.
Our Vaccine Policy
We want you to feel confident in your child’s medical care. Our goal is to educate and emphasize how important it is to protect our patients and families from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Requirement: We require all patients of our practice to receive all vaccines protecting them from highly contagious diseases. This includes: DTAP, MMR, Varicella, PCV, Hib, IPV, and Meningococcal (MenACWY, MenB).
The AAP Schedule: Vaccines are scheduled at specific ages when they work best to protect against immediate risk while providing long-term immunity.
Safety: These vaccines have been thoroughly studied and proven to be safe. We would not recommend them if we did not feel certain they were safe and effective.
Community Health: High vaccination rates protect our most vulnerable patients, such as those too young to be vaccinated or the immunocompromised.
Respectful Transition: We respect your decision as a parent. However, if you decline to vaccinate your child against the illnesses outlined above, we respectfully recommend finding a provider whose philosophy aligns with your preferences.
Resources for Parents
Recommended Immunization Schedule
We highly recommend the immunization schedule outlined by the AAP. Delaying or skipping vaccines leaves children at higher risk. Vaccines have not been shown to be safer if they are spaced out; therefore, we do not recommend “spacing out” vaccines.
| Child’s Age | Vaccines |
| Birth | Hepatitis B |
| 2 Month | Pediarix (DTaP, IPV, Hep B), Pedvax Hib, Rotarix, Prevnar 20 |
| 4 Month | Pediarix (DTaP, IPV, Hep B), Pedvax Hib, Rotarix, Prevnar 20 |
| 6 Month | Pediarix (DTaP, IPV, Hep B), Prevnar 20 |
| 12 Month | ProQuad (MMR, Varicella), Hepatitis A |
| 15 Month | Infanrix (DTaP), Prevnar 20, Pedvax Hib |
| 18 Month | Hepatitis A |
| 4 Year | Kinrix (DTaP, IPV), ProQuad (MMR, Varicella) |
| 9 Year | Gardasil (HPV) |
| 9.5–10 Year | Gardasil (HPV) |
| 11 Year | Boostrix (Tdap), Menveo (Meningococcal A, C, Y, W-135) |
| 16 Year | Menveo, Bexsero (Meningococcal B) — Dose 2 six months later |
Mandatory Milestones
By 2 Years Old: Children MUST be up to date with their primary vaccine series.
Kindergarten (4–6 Years): Children MUST receive boosters of MMR, Varicella, DTaP, and IPV.
11 Years Old: Children MUST be up to date with Tdap and Meningitis vaccines per AAP guidelines.
Scheduling a Vaccine Appointment
- Existing patients: Call (816) 792-1170 and select option 5.
- New patients: Start with our New Patients page.
- Our team will confirm your child’s vaccine history and schedule the next recommended visit.
